dcs121989's Tealogdcs121989's tealog on Steepsterhttp://steepster.com/
Amba Tea Flower Tea from Single Origin TeasThis is currently my favorite tea. It is naturally sweet, it is not astringent, bitter or overly flowery. It has a light subtle sent. I prefer it hot, but it is also good iced. When iced the the sweetness is less in the forefront.Sun, 18 Aug 2013 14:01:48 -0400/teas/Amba%20Tea%20Flower%20Tea/39489-amba-tea-flower-tea?note=188049
Diamond Jubilee from Harney & SonsMon, 04 Nov 2013 16:25:51 -0500/teas/Diamond%20Jubilee/27731-diamond-jubilee?note=200963
Diamond Jubilee from Harney & SonsThis Earl Grey variation is really nice and citrus-y, no lemon needed. It also has silver tips, but they seem to be for aesthetic reasons. Mon, 04 Nov 2013 16:27:10 -0500/teas/Diamond%20Jubilee/27731-diamond-jubilee?note=200964
Golden Assam from McNulty'sMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:20:46 -0500/teas/Golden%20Assam/11004-golden-assam?note=200975
McNulty's Special Mixed from McNulty'sMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:21:39 -0500/teas/McNulty's%20Special%20Mixed/13379-mcnultys-special-mixed?note=200976
Vanilla from McNulty'sMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:22:23 -0500/teas/Vanilla/5966-vanilla?note=200977
Almond Decaf from McNulty'sI dont taste the almond at all. If you told me I was drinking a plain black tea I would believe you. As a black tea, its fine, but if you want something that actually tastes like almond, keep lookingMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:23:52 -0500/teas/Almond%20Decaf/16075-almond-decaf?note=200978
Gopaldhara Darjeeling First Flush from Single Origin TeasMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:28:42 -0500/teas/Gopaldhara%20Darjeeling%20First%20Flush/40628-gopaldhara-darjeeling-first-flush?note=200980
Gopaldhara Darjeeling First Flush from Single Origin TeasMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:29:32 -0500/teas/Gopaldhara%20Darjeeling%20First%20Flush/40628-gopaldhara-darjeeling-first-flush?note=200981
Tower of London Blend from Harney & SonsThis fruity vanilla tea is good. I prefer vanilla teas with milk, yet I dont find milk complements this tea as much as I had hopedMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:31:53 -0500/teas/Tower%20of%20London%20Blend/5558-tower-of-london-blend?note=200983
Hot Cinnamon Spice from Harney & SonsSo sugared I couldnt drink it. Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:35:16 -0500/teas/Hot%20Cinnamon%20Spice/2199-hot-cinnamon-spice?note=200984
Orange Blossom Oolong from AnteaquesOne of my absolute favorite teas. Wonderful aroma, and just a hint of natural sweetness (my guess is that the sweetness comes from the blossoms) it needs nothing, its fantastic as is. Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:44:32 -0500/teas/Orange%20Blossom%20Oolong/25834-orange-blossom-oolong?note=200986
White Pomegranate from AnteaquesMon, 04 Nov 2013 17:51:22 -0500/teas/White%20Pomegranate/25832-white-pomegranate?note=200988
Chocolate Tea from Harney & SonsI love tea, I love chocolate, but not chocolate tea.Mon, 04 Nov 2013 17:55:35 -0500/teas/Chocolate%20Tea/6350-chocolate-tea?note=200990
Genmai Cha from YamamotoyamaI'm not a huge fan of green tea, but I really enjoy this one. I probably enjoy this tea so much because roasted brown rice is flavor is so strong.
I would describe this tea as almost savory. Because of that quality it is a great mealtime tea. Thu, 07 Nov 2013 17:35:50 -0500/teas/Genmai%20Cha/889-genmai-cha?note=201568
Orange Blossom Oolong from AnteaquesI'm on my second pot of this tea today. What I love about this tea is that it is very hard to over brew it. You can be completely distracted and come back after ten minutes of steeping (my book is very interesting) and this oolong isn't bitter. Sat, 09 Nov 2013 14:17:34 -0500/teas/Orange%20Blossom%20Oolong/25834-orange-blossom-oolong?note=201863
Tangerine White Tea from Radiance Tea House and BooksThis tea was ok. I found the tangerine overpowered the white tea.It was also on the sweet side for my taste. I like teas that have a hint of sweetness, but the tangerine was too sweet. Mon, 11 Nov 2013 18:24:37 -0500/teas/Tangerine%20White%20Tea/41406-tangerine-white-tea?note=202307
Oriental Beauty Premium Grade from Radiance Tea House and BooksYesterday when at Radiance I bought some sample sized packages of teabags. One of them was their Oriental Beauty.
This tea was wonderful. It has a sweet honey aroma. It's smooth, milky, and buttery in your mouth with just a hint of fruit as you swallow. Really yum.
The second brewing was just as good as the first - I steeped for about three minutes each time - there was no bitterness in the second steep.
ALSO, the tea in the teabags is high quality, no tea dust. Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:12:59 -0500/teas/Oriental%20Beauty%20Premium%20Grade/10425-oriental-beauty-premium-grade?note=202447
Amba Ceylon OP1 from Single Origin TeasI was surprised to discover that I hadn't already rated this lovely Ceylon so here it goes:
In my book, this is the archetype of a high quality Ceylon.
You get what you see: the hand rolled leaves you see in the image are exactly what you get, once steeped they unfurl and give off that wonderful earthy-Ceylon smell. None of that menthol aroma on these tea leaves.
This tea has both earthy and floral notes, and its a lovely amber color. As the tea cools the earthiness becomes more predominant. When piping hot - my favorite way to drink tea - the steam an floral aroma mix and its not so bad to be awake in the early morning. The smooth floral flavor has an elusive hint of fruit that I just cant put my finger on.
This also makes a delicious iced tea with or without lemon. Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:23:50 -0500/teas/Amba%20Ceylon%20OP1/40629-amba-ceylon-op1?note=202872
High Mountain Oolong from Radiance Tea House and BooksSat, 16 Nov 2013 13:59:34 -0500/teas/High%20Mountain%20Oolong/41420-high-mountain-oolong?note=203147
High Mountain Oolong from Radiance Tea House and BooksI bought this tea sample on impulse.
This is a very light VERY floral Oolong. I have had greenish Oolongs before, and they just really aren't my thing at all.
Objectively speaking, if you like green Oolongs, I think your will like this. The tea in this teabag is high-quality full leaf tea. Strong aroma, light, subtly sweet, FLORAL, and not at all bitter.
I just cant get myself to like this type of tea. I find them so floral that they verge on soapy - kind of like biting into a cardamom pod - too much of a good thing.Sat, 16 Nov 2013 14:00:18 -0500/teas/High%20Mountain%20Oolong/41420-high-mountain-oolong?note=203148
Aged Cooked Pu'er from Radiance Tea House and BooksSo I didn't think that this would be my cup of tea, and it REALLY wasn't.
This tea is dark, smokey, and horsey. I couldn't drink it and didn't want to smell it.
Point of reference: I literally cant swallow lapsang souchong. But my Uncle loves that tea and really enjoyed this one as well, I'll just steer clear from now on. Tue, 19 Nov 2013 11:40:27 -0500/teas/Aged%20Cooked%20Pu'er/41421-aged-cooked-puer?note=203725
Oriental Beauty Premium Grade from Radiance Tea House and BooksThu, 21 Nov 2013 11:08:02 -0500/teas/Oriental%20Beauty%20Premium%20Grade/10425-oriental-beauty-premium-grade?note=204100
Oriental Beauty Premium Grade from Radiance Tea House and BooksSo I'm almost out of my sample of this tea. I just couldn't stop drinking it. These leaves are so flavorful you can just keep on re-steeping them and they never get bitter or overly floral.
I really enjoy drinking darker Oolongs (I dont care for the greener ones) any suggestions on which Oolong I should try next? Thu, 21 Nov 2013 11:10:05 -0500/teas/Oriental%20Beauty%20Premium%20Grade/10425-oriental-beauty-premium-grade?note=204102
Candied Chestnut from Single Origin TeasFri, 22 Nov 2013 12:39:02 -0500/teas/Candied%20Chestnut/41814-candied-chestnut?note=204268
Candied Chestnut from Single Origin TeasFAVORITE TEA EVER!!!!!!!!!!
Synopsis of my long post: The tea gods love me. You must try this lightly sweet nutty wonderful tea. Full tasting notes come at the end of the post.
Back in 2010 I spend a semester at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and found this amazing tea shop Anteaques. There I had this wonderful chestnut tea. When I came back stateside I searched for a comparable tea. And searched, and searched, then searched some more. Some of the chestnut/nut teas were truly awful – undrinkable- others were ok. I admit I might have been overly hard on these nut teas, but I was on a mission.
Several months ago I was on a Ceylon fix – I’d just finished my last Ceylon – and I purchased some truly delicious teas from Single Origin Teas. Recently I decided to revist their site and that’s when the stars aligned and the tea gods smiled on me. Right there on the home page: Candied Chestnut tea.
I was all like “Be still my beating heart, you've been disappointed before”, but given the high quality of the teas I already purchased from Single Origin Teas I had to give it a try. When I smelled the leaves I knew I had found my chestnut tea at last. I swear this is the same tea. This tea makes me happy – the aroma, the taste, the warmth – Keats should have written an ode to this tea. The best part is that the tea lives up to my memory of it. I was starting to think that I had idealized this tea so much that should I drink it again I would be disappointed. Not so. It’s my tea “dream come true”.
Tasting note time:
As I've said before with Single Origin Teas what you see is what you get when it comes to the leaves. The dried leaves smell sweet. The first sent to hit your nose is sugary vanilla then comes the sent of chestnut with a barely there hint of fruit from the leaves.
Once brewed the predominant aroma is sweet chestnut with a touch of vanilla and the slightest fruity/floral hint.
Everything about this tea is light, but in a good way. The chestnut flavor is present throughout with a background note of vanilla. It’s sweetest when it’s in your mouth. As you swallow the phantom fruity/floral quality appears again. As the tea cools the fruity note becomes slightly more present.
Fri, 22 Nov 2013 12:53:08 -0500/teas/Candied%20Chestnut/41814-candied-chestnut?note=204271
Cranberry Autumn from Harney & SonsI tried a few new teas yesterday thanks to my well meaning family. Unfortunately they dont know my taste in tea.
This tea was jammy - it felt like it should have been a hibiscus/zinger tea, but its not. Its black, I didnt feel that it worked. Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:22:40 -0500/teas/Cranberry%20Autumn/2423-cranberry-autumn?note=205495
Pumpkin Chai from David's TeaAnother tea brought by a well meaning family member.
I dont care for chai, but I do love all the spices that go into chai, so I keep trying them.
My mom made an absolutely delicious pumpkin ring, I though that this would go well with it. Wrong.
It was just weird. I had to spill out my cup.
It didnt taste like pumpkin, it kind of smelled like carrots. It had a sweet sort of fertilizer smell and the fruity flavor had an over ripe quality - not a good thing.
I've said it before and I will probably say it again - I will leave the chai spices to baking and curries. Fri, 29 Nov 2013 14:28:45 -0500/teas/Pumpkin%20Chai/40990-pumpkin-chai?note=205496
Dark Rose Tea from TeaSourceI didn't get the aroma of rose at all - not in the dried leaves, brewed leaves, or the tea itself. This just tasted like a straight pu'erh tea. I got a floral note as I swallowed but no more than any other non-flavored tea.
I'm not really a fan of pu'erh. The smokey/horsey quality was less intense than in the other pu'erhs I've tried.
It's just not my thing and it left my mouth very dryThu, 12 Dec 2013 18:39:15 -0500/teas/Dark%20Rose%20Tea/21387-dark-rose-tea?note=208185
Cream of Earl Grey (organic) from DAVIDsTEAA delightful variation on Earl Grey.
The aroma of the bergamot is very strong, the vanilla somehow soften it and adds a warm flavor. Its yum.
I dont think the tea needs anything, but it would take sugar nicely.
A nice variation on a classic - I recommend it to anyone who enjoys vanilla/fruit combos. Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:05:33 -0500/teas/Cream%20of%20Earl%20Grey%20(organic)/16479-cream-of-earl-grey-organic?note=208936
English Breakfast Decaf from TwiningsOf the grocery store teabag teas, this is my "favorite". I always drink it with milk. Its perfect for late at night when you want something milky-tea-flavored to drink/warm you up with out having to think about brewing it.
I owe this mug of tea to the guy outside who decided to hack through the snow/ice-bank surrounding his car at 2am. Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:27:11 -0500/teas/English%20Breakfast%20Decaf/2961-english-breakfast-decaf?note=223081
Grapefruit Tea from Single Origin TeasThis is a really good alternative to Earl Grey.
The dry leaves are overwhelmingly grapefruit, it smells like the zest of 100 grapefruits.
KEEP CALM.
The steeped leaves are also very grapefruit-y. The liquor is a deep reddish-amber with a mellow citrus-y aroma. The grapefruit is at the forefront, but it does not overwhelm the flavor of the tea. There is a very nice secondary floral note, and the tea leaves a subtle citrus flavor behind. It isn't the least bit astringent. Fri, 21 Feb 2014 11:39:53 -0500/teas/Grapefruit%20Tea/44503-grapefruit-tea?note=226777
Machu Peach-u from TeaSourceWhat a disappointment. White tea with peach, sounds delicious right?
My problems with this tea started in right off the bat. Yes there are nice large unfurled leaves, however there are even larger (2 inches+) sticks (plural) and other smaller twigs in this sample. I was willing to over look this because the leaves had a peachy, fresh, floral aroma. Once steeped the leaves took on a creamy quality.
The liquor tastes like fuzzy peaches - the candy- sans the sugar coating. That flavor was so dominant that I couldn't get anything else from this tea. I genuinely don't understand it. How can a tea that has REAL peach in it taste so artificial? Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:02:55 -0500/teas/Machu%20Peach-u/23622-machu-peach-u?note=227506
Kumquat from LupiciaThanks to SFTGFOP for sending me a sample of this tea! I really do love citrus teas.
This tea has a wonderful citrus aroma that is pervasive throughout, yet never overwhelms the scent or flavor of the tea. The tea is light and mellow with little to no astringency. It really does have a distinct kumquat flavor which comes from the note of rind. There is no artificial or bitter lingering quality to this cup. It's yum.Fri, 28 Feb 2014 13:40:29 -0500/teas/Kumquat/41800-kumquat?note=228423
Mokalbari Assam from Single Origin TeasWhen drinking unflavored black teas I generally don't go for a strait Assam, I usually prefer it in a blend. This tea is an exception.
It has a really nice smooth full flavor. It tastes like you would expect an Assam to taste, yet it has none of the bitterness/astringency often associated with Assams. There is a nice floral note that I find usually is overpowered in other Assams I've had. This also does a really nice re-steep. The flavor becomes lighter, sweeter, and more floral.
I don't use milk/sugar in my tea, but this would handle those nicely. An overall good cuppa.Sat, 08 Mar 2014 12:01:23 -0500/teas/Mokalbari%20Assam/40824-mokalbari-assam?note=230094